WLM Fall 2013 | Page 28

WLM E WEST NILE | family very year in late summer cases of West Nile Virus appear all over the Rocky Mountain area. It is a viral illness that is brought on by infected mosquitos. Though it can appear any time of year, it is most prevalent in the mid to late summer time. It affects mostly older and very young populations. Clinically, when a person is bitten by an infected mosquito, the virus travels throughout the body by way of the bloodstream. It can infect the central nervous system and cause meningitis VIRUS and encephalitis. There is no antibiotic or antiviral medication for the illness and there is no current vaccine for it. While most people infected get a mild to moderate systemic illness and then make antibodies that protect them from future illness by the virus, a few go on to have severe or even fatal nervous system infections. About a third of the population has immunity to the virus due to prior mild infection. Some of the symptoms of West Nile include fevers, muscle aches and headaches. Patients can progress to having hallucinations, loss of nerve functions and even severe paralysis. If it progresses far enough, it can be fatal. by Kent Kleppinger, M.D. it was identified, killed hundreds of patients and was thought to be transmitted from horses to people by mosquitos. It peaked after about five years then essentially died out and disappeared. West Nile was thought to be brought to the New York area by people migrating from the Nile River area. Over time it has slowly expanded from the east coast to where it now covers most of North America. Cases have dropped on the eastern half of the US but are still increasing in the Rocky Mountain areas. It was identified about 25 years ago and is still a large problem in the country. While there is no treatment for West Nile, there is prevention for the infection. Mosquito spraying in community areas, clearing of standing water where the mosquito breeds and using mosquito repellant all decrease the mosquitos and the resulting bites that spread the disease. Avoiding outdoors in the evenings, using DEET containing mosquito spray and calling your physician for fevers with headaches are all important. Usually in Wyoming, we will have anywhere from 5-20 cases in a summer. Older patients are more likely to have severe illness, followed by younger children. Healthy adults tend to have less severe cases. Most cases end up in patients being hospitalized, usually for weeks at a time. Recovery is slow and prolonged and many patients with encephalitis have permanent loss of function. Disabilities can include memory loss to paralysis to even vegetative states and Dr. Kent Kleppinger, “Klep” to his patients, grew up in Casper, coma. Wyoming and graduated with honors from the University of The virus is related to encephalitis outbreaks that occurred in the past. Saint Louis Encephalitis, named after the city where Wyoming. He received his medical degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, and completed his Pediatrics Internship and Residency at Oklahoma Children’s Memorial Hospital in Oklahoma City. Following Residency, he did an additional year of Fellowship training in Ambulatory Pediatrics, where he had extra training in the fields of Pediatric Development, Adolescent Medicine and Pulmonary Pediatrics. Dr. Kleppinger has practiced Pediatrics in Laramie since 1985. In January 1999 he opened his current office, Laramie Pediatrics, PC. Dr. Kleppinger is Board Certified in Pediatrics and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Thoracic Society, AAP Section on Child Development and Section on Adolescent Medicine. He is currently the UW Athletics Team Physician, Medical Director to Cathedral Home for Children in Laramie and the Medical Director for WyoTech Student Health. 28 Wyoming Lifestyle Magazine | Fall 2013